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high-risk pregnancies when the woman’s life or health is at risk, and when natural delivery of
the child might result in severe complications. Some reasons to perform a c-section include:
• Cephalopelvic disproportion (the uncommon situation when a baby's head is too
large to pass through the woman's pelvis).
• Compression of the umbilical cord that cuts off nutrients to the fetus.
• Untreated sexually transmitted infections.
• Failure of labor to progress.
• Non-reassuring fetal heart tones.
In recent years due to health system pressures, c-sections have been performed on women
with minor complications or none at all.
If you require a c-section, you will first need to sign consent forms for the surgery and for
your baby’s care. The nurse will teach you how to move, cough, and deep breathe so that
you will not develop postoperative complications such as pneumonia. The nurse will insert
an indwelling urinary catheter, shave and cleanse the abdomen in the area of the incision,
take your blood pressure, monitor the fetal heart rate, and start an intravenous infusion. You
will then be given preoperative medications. During this period, talk with your partner or a
significant other, and practice deep breathing and relaxation exercises to allay your anxiety
prior to the surgery.
Postpartum Care
Routine Care of Your Newborn in the Delivery RoomWith your newborn’s first breath, your baby begins the
transition from life in the womb to life in the outside
world. This first breath initiates major changes in the
newborn’s cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Air
enters the newborn’s lungs, and fluid is removed from
the lungs. If the baby is born via c-section, it may need
to initially be on a ventilator. In either case, it is the
newborn’s respiratory adjustment that is most critical
at birth. A major task of the labor room staff is to
immediately assess your infant’s respirations.
Also, just after delivery, the newborn is quickly checked
for any abnormalities, and then assigned an Apgar
score—at and minutes. An Apgar score assesses an
infant’s well-being in five physiological areas:
• Heart rate. Is it absent? Below 00 beats per minutes? Over 00 beats per minute?
• Respiratory effort. Are breaths absent? Or are breaths slow and irregular? Does the
infant have a good cry?
• Muscle tone. Are muscles flaccid? Does the newborn bend its arms and legs, fingers
and toes? Does the newborn display active motion (does it wiggle)?
• Reflex irritability. Is the newborn non-responsive? Does the baby grimace? Does the
newborn have a vigorous cry?
• Color. Is the newborn pale or blue? Pink with blue extremities? Completely pink?
Information for Beneficiaries on Preconception, Prenatal, and Postpartum Care